Full Upgradekit

- Tonny Stølegaard, Danmark. August 2022

Michell ORBE upgraded by Gert Pedersen, Kuzma arm, Benz LPS pickup.

"Helt klart har jeg en stramhed i basområdet som er on-par med min DAC og det strækker sig helt op i nedre mellemtone - dette har jeg aldrig før hørt på en pladespiller. Derefter stikker ORBE'n klart af, og stikker DAC'en i mellemtone og helt op i øverste diskant.

Den har samme ro, som min Goldmund havde, og med et lydbillede der matcher det jeg havde på Goldmund Studioen. Dynamik er eksplosiv og der mangler ikke mikrodetaljer overhovedet.

Personligt mener jeg det er en rigtig god kombo med Benz LPS pickup, Kuzma 4P og din ORBE modification.

Jeg tror at jeg skal lede rigtig længe og grave dybt i lommen før jeg får noget der er bedre.

Det helt stor plus, er at det hele er så meget nemmere at justere på pladespilleren, efter jeg har droppet min Goldmund, både ORBE og Kuzma arm gør det til en fornøjelse at få det til at spille max."

Full Upgradekit

- Félix Sanchez, Madrid, Spain. January 2018

Michell Gyrodec Mk I with Gyropower QC, SME Series V arm, Zyx Omega pick-up.

"I consider that this upgade has improved in every single aspect, including musicality, aperture, timbre, background noise and information detail. That improvement is highly recommendable and with patience, it can be implemented by anyone.

Best regards and I hope you make future upgrades."

Full Upgradekit + GP Armboard Upgradekit

- Peter Bejerholm, Aarhus, Denmark. November 2016

Michell Gyrodec with GP suspension, Moerch DP6 Arm, Audioquest 404i pick-up.

"I did the suspension upgrade some 20 year ago. Like so many other, I have been going through a digital period and now rediscovered my old turntable with all its qualities.

Gert's upgrade kits has one more time impressed me. Super craftmanship, easy to install and what an improvement!"

Full Upgradekit

- Ulf Lundin, France. April 2015

Michell ORBE, SME V.

"Just a short report on what the upgrading of my Orbe mk 1 with a SME V arm with your modification achieved. It provides a sound much better than the Linn Sondek LP 12 it replaced and one very much to my liking. It has a wide, stable and distinct sound image which is very dynamic, fluid and full of rhythm, involving and very clear in the details. The other day by chance I put on the MPS (re)issue of the Supersax album Chasin’ The Bird – a standard LP and not an audiophile one. It has an amazing sound. Listen to the drums on Night In Tunisia. 

It gives in a nutshell what a Pedersen modification brings to an Orbe or Gyrodec. But it says nothing about the kind and personal service that also comes with the purchase of the mod."

Full Upgradekit

- Kimmo Ketonen, Finland. October 2014.

Michell GyroDec MK V, Audio Note arm 3/II, Ortofon Cadenza Blue.

"First of all the assembly was pretty easy because of great instructions and pictures. When I started working I had an ipad with the pictures and step by step did the upgrade following carefully the instructions. Gert helped me on the way and it was great to purchase the upgrade from a devoted gyro-enthusiast :) 

I'm now really happy with the looks of my new Gyrodec. What about the sound then? Well what I first noticed was that the bass came a lot tighter and faster. Drums and bass guitar was much easier to follow and you could really get inside the presentation. All in all everything is now much more balanced and analytical. You can really get into the grooves!  

I've been now listening to many albums that I didn't before because the bass used to sound muddy because of coloration of the old chassis. Now it just sounds amazing thanks to the damping :) Thank's to Gert I now have a new top of the line turntable! I recommend this upgrade to all Gyro owners."

Full upgradekit + Armboard Upgradekit

-Jarmo Lilja, Raahe, Finland. January 2010.

Michell GyroDec SE, Orbe Platter, HR PSU, Origin Live Illustrious MK3c, Lyra Dorian, Transcendent tube RIAA, Transcendent Grounded Grid preamp, Transcendent T16, OTL power amp, Stacked Quad ESL.

"It is now about a month ago when I did the full Pedersen upgrade plus the armboard upgrade to my Gyro SE. The quality of the parts was top-notch and

instructions easy to follow. During the last four weeks I've been listening through my old vinyls - the new sound is stunning! 

I loved my old Gyro, butnow it is a totally new player. As stated, the bass is like solid rock. The whole frequency range is out of colorations and distortions. Surface noise level is also improved and the sound is more dynamic and impressive. All the details are there and the soundstaging has improved as well.

To summarize,the mod was worth all the investment and I can recommend it to all Gyro owners."

Full Upgradekit

-Richard Knowless, Essex, UK. April 2007.

Michell Orbe, SME V arm, Fuji ZYX Cartridge.

"Test System:

Full-Orbe, Incognito re-wired SME V, ZYX Fuji -S-SB, EAR 324 phonostage, Hardy Mu-Follower preamp, Modified Assemblage EL34 in triode PP poweramp, Martin Logan SL3 electrostatics. Nordost Valhalla interconnects and Red Dawn speaker cable.

I used to own this Orbe but the springs annoyed me. Sound was always a bit heavy/thick and closed-in, so I sold it on. Recently I bought it back to modify for a friend. We did the modifications over a couple of weekends.

The kit is all very good quality and parts well made. The instructions are very clear, tools included and the picture disc clarifies everything and shows the various steps...this is a nice touch. The only tricky operations are the various drill holes that might be easiest with an upright drilling machine for best result, although it is possible to do by hand (as we did). The filler is a bit messy but if you mix small amounts it's ok. I found the sand filling operation tiring as you need to shake the sand in to fill it solidly and it gets very heavy after a while...I had to stop after that for a rest! But the effort is extremely rewarding!

"Cat among the pigeons":

The sound was something of a revelation and set me thinking how foolish I was to sell the Orbe! I currently use both an SME 20 with V and an Amazon One with a Triplanar....Both very capable decks....but this modified Orbe has some interesting characteristics that I like very much. Frequency extremes are very extended with a clean sparkling treble that is not exaggerated. Focused and extended bass with no boom. Old orchestral recordings sound very real....with proper instrument tone and colour (string tone, woodwind and brass sound very realistic). Dynamics are excellent and pace is fast and very musical with great timing and instrumental interplay. Like other super-decks (yes this is now in that league!) it needs careful setup of the cartridge (ZYX's are very fussy!) and must be absolutely level at all times or you loose the magic owing to wrong arm-bias and bearing drag. But it's easy to get it level and it's very stable...pitch stability is spot on, bass drum and timpani are powerful and real with proper slam and no slur.

My friend is delighted and I am annoyed with myself for selling it on a second time!!!

If I get another one, how am I going to live with three decks in my house, each with it's own magic and interestingly all with rubber suspension..?!

It will be interesting to see if I end up keeping only one......at the moment I have a sneaky feeling it could be a Pedersen Orbe..!

Many thanks for a great modification and for "putting the cat among the pigeons"! "

Full Upgradekit

-Paul Goutiere, Canada. February 2007.

GyroDec SE, Rega RB 600 arm, Benz L2 MC cartridge.

"I finished the table this weekend and the results are amazing! As you suggested I started by playing well known records and the differences are very noticeable, a much tighter bass and everything seems much more focused. The increased mass and tighter suspension has yielded incredible results! All in all, this is the best upgrade I've ever done to my system, I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to hear what their Gyrodec is capable of.

I should add that the whole process gave me a much

better understanding of the turntable's dynamics and a greater

appreciation to its design.

Lots of fun.

Many thanks Gert!"

Full Upgradekit (upgraded by Gary Whitford, UK)

-Phil Morgan, Buckinghamshire, England. January 2007.

GyroDec MKIV, Michell Tecno arm, Ortofon kontrapunkt B cartridge.

"I collected the Gyro from Gary last Thursday night, he's done a lovely job of fitting the upgrades. He also fitted an Orbe spindle with the better record clamp.

I am very pleased with the improvements to bass depth, timing, detail and musicality. It makes the deck a more absorbing listen in every sense. Theres treble detail in spades that i was missing before too.

The Gyro looks stunning too - I much prefer the aesthetics with the upgrades installed than the standard deck.

An excellent value upgrade."

Full Upgradekit

-Paul Eros, East Sussex, England. January 2007.

Michell ORBE, SME IV arm, Lyra Helikon cartridge.

"Well I did it. I am now the proud owner of a Pederson'd Orbe. The rest of my system is SME IV, Lyra Helikon, Thrichord Delphini/NC, Pathos Logos, Chord Signature cables and interconnects and ART Stilleto speakers.

The instructions are clear and legible and come with a photo cd containing pictures of the upgrade at various stages. I printed these out onto A4 paper so that I had copies to hand in my garage where I performed the work which, if you follow Gerts instructions is easy.

After checking cartridge alignment, VTA, tracking weight and bias I dropped the needle of the Lyra Helikon into the first track on the Bob Dylan album Oh Mercy. I have never been able to listen to the first track, political world, of this otherwise excellent album. Previously I found it muddled and not at all musical. With the Pedersen'd Orbe I was treated to a Dylan spectacular. His voice stands alone centre stage and is brought forward in to the room. The backing instruments now have their own space and the bass rythm drives the track along at a fantastic pace. There is air, clarity and musicality to boot. I listend to numerous other albums into the wee small hours of sunday morning and found each album I listened to to be sharper, more musical and ultimately more intelligable than previously.

The only way I can describe it is that I now have real musicians with real instruments and breath in their lungs, in my front room....

who wants to go to concerts anymore?

The Michell Orbe is a fantastic real world record playing machine. With the Pedersen upgrades it's, to my ears anyway, a real world better...can vinyl sound better than this? It hasn't in my system....come to think of it nor has CD !!!!

I cannot wait to hear from Gert about future upgrades."

-Shaun Chan, HongKong. January 2007.

Michell ORBE SE, Odyssey RP1-XG arm, Koetsu Urushi cartridge, GP Armboard upgradekit:

"Well, I must congratulate your amazing armboard kit which elevates the Orbe SE into another level. The top is more open and more air. Image is more solid hence better body tone. The piano is crispy and more real, the sax is fuller, guitar is more transparent, and vocal has more body. The bass is also tightening up but not too much so it is still very extend and ease. Overall, the sound is more lively and open then before. Well the new Koetsu still needs time to break in so I guess when the full glory of the Koetsu unveils the sound will be amazing.

Thank you very much for this kit, truly worth every penny and more!"

 Full Upgradekit

-Peter Fong, Middelsex, UK. January 2006

Michell GyroDec SE, ORBE platter, Rega Origin live silver arm, Lyra Lydian Beta MC cartridge.

"I completed the upgrade a few weeks ago. It had been a labour of love & I was in anticipitation of what musical improvements there would be. Well the degree of improvement in sonic performance knocked me back. Much more information was now retrieved from the grooves. The cartridge stylus was tracing the groove with extreme accuracy. More subtle notes of chords now sounded & extra lines of harmonies appeared. Now was a more complete picture of the structure & coherence of the music.

Bass is extended, powerful, tight & tuneful. There is an increase in dynamic range, from low to high sound intensity. I now set the volume control a little lower. Some percussive sounds eg bell, brushed symbals are balanced better -before they were almost inaudible among the music mix. To me the quality of piano reproduction is a good evaluator & now, given a good recording the infinite harmonics of the piano is very satisfying to hear.

Considering the Gyro was so very good with your armboard upgrade & Orbe platter, my expectation was that any further improvements would be small. When you get to these high levels of performance it gets more & more difficult to better this; that is the law of diminishing returns. The GP upgrade is a rare exception to this rule because it happens to provide brilliant improvements for a modest cost.

Also the tt is easier to setup as the previous spring suspension was awkward to balance & also to get the subchassis to bounce properly. The wobbly arm cueing has been cured. Another major boon is when using the mandatory screw down clamp with the platter rotating. It is much more stable. And to me it looks better,yes more professional finish with the new suspension mount, kevlar stabilisers & large acrylic base!

Thank you Gert for the most rewarding upgrade ever for these great value turntables."

-Gary Whitford, Bedfordshire, UK. January 2006

Michell ORBE SE, SME IV arm, Jan Allearts MC 1B cartridge, GP Armboard upgradekit:

"It was the cheapest tweak I have come across with such great results. I now have cleaner treble and better bass control. Its like a veil being lifted, but most impressive is the amount of extra detail that can now be heard.

I would urge any one with a Gyro-Dec or Orbe to try this mod out !!"

Full Upgradekit, plus GP Armboard Upgradekit

-David Elm, Alberta, Canada. November 2004

Michell ORBE SE, Morsiani CM-1 low mass arm, Music Maker II cartridge.

"The modifications have been installed now for about a month. The difference in sound was immediately noticeable: improved clarity through the frequency range. I gather this comes from improved vibration control. Selections that were previously busy were now clearer and as a result enjoyable. The sound stage was changed: better seperation and development in the centre. Good recordings improved and poor recordings remained poor (there is no magic)."

Full Upgradekit 24 carat gilt, plus GP Armboard Upgradekit

-Kostas Agath, London, United Kingdom. September 2004

Michell GyroDec MK V, HR psu, grey, SME V arm, Koetsu Urushi cartridge.

"Punchier bass, better definition in midrange and treble, better

soundstaging. I have no hesitation to recommend the Pedersen

modification...

The following comments refer to both turntable and arm modification that were done at the same time:

There is an abundance of presence in the lower registers. Bass is much punchier presenting itself every now and then, when the depth and the better definition of a note, previously only alluded to, pleasantly startle you. (Examples: the accentuation of rhythm in Pink Floyd’s ‘Speak to me’ in the ‘Dark Side of the Moon’; the cohesion brought to the magic of Sam Gopal’s ‘Yesterlove’ in the Escalator LP; the subwoofer I thought I had in my room in Eric Clapton’s ‘Unplugged’)

Higher up the frequency range you get better discrimination and soundstaging. For the first time I could position in space 5 of the 6 Valkyries at the start of Act III, in Die Walkure with von Karajan. And although Siegrune remains elusive, each of her five sisters could now claim her own space in my listening room when singing alone. In Allegri’s ‘Miserere’ by the Tallis Scholars the better discrimination of the voices also defined the blackness of the surrounding cathedral I thought I was sharing with the singers. In ‘Grace’ by Country Joe and the Fish all those high pitch sounds were neither bleeding into, nor competing with each other anymore; instead they were creating music together!"

Full Upgradekit

-Michael Gartz, Düsseldorf, Germany. July 2003

Michell GyroDec SE.

"For me, the ingenious thing is, that the Pedersen-Gyro combines the virtues of a heavy 'mass'-Player with the advantages of a suspended player.

It's very hard to describe what i hear now, i would say you are more 'in' the music, you get a better feel of 'to be there'. It's more spacious, bass is tighter and more defined, and i hear an overall better separation of the instruments.

And, as a side effect, the player looks sooo great with the new acrylic groundplate and the new suspension towers! Even the wife said WOW... :-)

I checked with a great recording which i have, 'Kip Dobler, Reaching out from the inside'.

It's a Direct-To-Disc recording from Cardas Records, which lots of acoustic drums, flute and acoustic guitar etc.. It has an ultra-deep bass from the acoustic drums and a sensational sound quality.

The bass quality now is much tighter than before, and the overall 'picture' of the music is much more holographic! I am very happy!!!!

Youre a genius... :-)

And i liked how lovingly the whole package is put together, with the little wooden blocks, the wood for to check the height of the chassis, and you even thought to put the 4 little pots for to stir the PP into the package!

Very helpful.

A big Thank You Michael Gartz Düsseldorf"

-Colin Johnson, San Fransisco, USA. April 2003

Full Upgradekit

-Jan Andersson, Uppsala, Sweden. January 2003

Michell GyroDec SE, acrylic groundplate.

"Review of Gyro SE Upgrade kit

I had no problem following the very clear assembly instructions, and it took me about four evenings to install the mod-kit since the silicone needs to dry properly between the different "stages" of the assembly.

The finished player looks very cool; maybe not as "polished" as the original mainly because of the visible silicone strings on top of the subchassis, but the replaced parts such as the suspension mounting pieces and the large acrylic bottom plate have a very high finish indeed.

Using the modified player one notices a totally transformed "feel" to it; gone is the rather "wobbly" experience of cueing the arm onto the record - the new and much stiffer rubber suspension makes the whole record playing excercise seem more "safe" and similar to using an unsuspended record deck.

After reading all the positive reviews the sound of the modified player surely didn't disappoint; an extended frequency range with more details, quiter backgrounds, and a punchier bass was among the changes which was noted immediately. After listening a bit more one becomes aware of more "solid" feeling to the sound images portrayed, voices and instruments doesn't "move around" in the sound picture as they used to, and the "layering" of different sounds in the depth of a recording have become much more obvious.

I would therefore rate Gert Pedersens upgrade kit as giving excellent value for money considering the great performance increase it brings to the already very good original Michell Gyro SE."

-Marcel, The Netherlands, January 2003

Full Upgradekit (upgraded by Gert Pedersen)

-Hans Henrik Brok-Kristensen, Måløv, Denmark. May 2002

Michell GyroDec:

"Like most HiFi-freaks I was always on the look-out for further improvement on my stereo equipment. In my search I came in contact with Gert Pedersen and got him to work on my Michell Gyrodec.

Before I had always appreciated the functional design and sumptuous sound of this record player, but after - the change is amazing!

The bass is rock-solid and seems much deeper now, precision and clarity have audibly improved, and the dynamic range has extended considerably. It's a new record player at bargain price!

On top of that the modifications blend in very well with the design - they almost look original.

I recommend Gert Pedersen's work without reservation.

A final word warning: If you go ahead and do it you may find yourself hooked on listening and re-listening to your old grammophone records for hours and hours and hours........."

Full Upgradekit

-Gene Fachin, Carlifornia, USA. March 2002

Michell GyroDec:

"-Easy to install

-Good installation instructions

The one thing I did not like about the Gyrodec was the spring suspension, I never knew if it was right.

The mod eliminates the springs and makes a solid turntable and stays in adjustment.

Everything improved

-soundstage, detail, tone, imaging, musicality.

It is the best single improvement to my stereo for the money...

I have not played CD's (Sony XA77ES SACD player) since installing the mod.

I was going to get a new Turntable/arm/cartridge. I don"t know if I could improve on the Gyrodec

with your mod without spending a great deal of money...

Thank you, you saved me a ton of money. I believe this will be my last Turntable...

I will upgrade the arm from a Lourne to a SME-V. I am using a Van Den Hul FROG."